Pressure on meningococcal vaccine for WA

An increase in W strain meningococcal cases in Western Australia has prompted state Health Minister John Day to pressure the federal government to provide a subsidy for the vaccine.

Three people have died from meningococcal disease in WA this year - two from the W strain and one from strain Y.

Over the past three years, there has been an increase in the number of cases of strain W cases in WA - from an average of one case a year to two cases in 2014, four in 2015 and 12 cases to date this year.

"If we're going to change the vaccination schedule in Western Australia, it is highly preferable it's done on a national basis because people travel, they move interstate and it's much better to have consistency right across the whole country," Mr Day said.

A review of the vaccine for the national program is due from the federal government by January, but the minister has asked for it to be done as soon as possible, a Department of Health spokesman said.

"It's highly preferable that we have a national approach to dealing with this very terrible disease," Mr Day said.

Mr Day said there was a global shortage of the vaccine for the B strain of meningococcal and people should not be alarmed, but needed to be very alert to the symptoms.

"There is one manufacturer worldwide and they are finding it hard to keep up with demand," he said.

There has been a decrease in B strain cases in WA, with five this year compared to 15 cases four years ago.

"Try and ensure children aren't sharing drinks, exchanging mucus and so on," he said.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon, life-threatening illness caused by a bacterial infection of the blood and/or the membranes that line the spinal cord and brain, and occasionally of other sites, such as large joints.

Most people recover from the disease if given appropriate treatment, although about five per cent will die and around 15 per cent may experience complications such as hearing loss, or gangrene, requiring skin grafts or amputations.